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This massive, two-legged lizard has a long stinger-tipped tail. Its greenish scales are old and worn, and its leathery bat wings are nigh-vestigial stubs. Its huge jaws are filled with long, sharp teeth.

The Great Green Wyrm of the Mercykillers, more commonly called simply the Mercykiller Wyrm, was originally bred from wyvern stock. Over countless generations, it has been bred for ferocity and for the exquisite functionality of its venom, not for intelligence or hunting skills.

The Mercykillers have found a way to distill the Mercykiller wyrm's venom into elixirs of truth. They jealously guard this secret.

A Mercykiller wyrm's body is 20 feet long with a wingspan of 30 feet, and weighs about 2 tons. A Mercykiller wyrm's scales are always green.

Mercykiller wyrms speak Draconic, but usually don’t bother with anything more elaborate than a loud hiss or a deep-throated growl much like that of a bull alligator.

COMBAT

Like their forebears, Mercykiller wyrms are rather stupid but always aggressive. A Mercykiller wyrm can slash with its talons only when making a flyby attack.

Feeble Flyer (Ex): A Mercikiller Wyrm has very weak wing muscles. After every minute of flight it must succeed on a Constitution check (DC10, +1 per additional minute of flying) or become fatigued and be forced to land. The wyrm must rest for 10 minutes for every minute it spends flying. A wyrm that is already fatigued cannot fly, although it can perform controlled glides which prevent it taking falling damage.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a Mercykiller wyrm must hit with its talons. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and stings.

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you." - Batman, Batman Begins"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight"Yeah, I can fly." - Tony Stark, Iron Man"I have no plans to die today..." - Thor, Thor"We have a Hulk." - Tony Stark, The Avengers"Hulk...smash." - Captain America, The Avengers

Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
returned this flower to the dirt;
so it could live, I walked away now."
Rise Against - "The Good Left Undone"

Dracula was once a powerful, evil fighter from a Material Plane world. Upon his death, he arose as a vampire, growing more powerful over time into a lord of undeath. Now he wanders the planes, furthering world-spanning evil agendas and associating with powerful spellcasters and fiends. He has known to be in contact with Orcus, the Prince of Undeath, but to what ends is yet to be determined.

Dracula is among the most powerful and long-lived of vampires. He generally surrounds himself with a retinue of enslaved vampires and dominated humanoids. His knowledge of planar politics and local nobility is impressive, and his ability to immediately infiltrate the rulership of kingdoms is well-known.

Dracula carries a wide variety of magic items, including a portable hole in which he stores his coffin. He always carries several does of dust of dryness to eliminate the threat of running water that is detrimental to vampires.

Dracula is 6 feet tall and weighs 200 pounds.

Dracula speaks Abyssal, Common, and Draconic.

COMBAT

Dracula was already an accomplished fighter before rising as a vampire. He combines his martial prowess with his enhanced vampire abilities to great effect, often tripping or knocking foes prone before grappling and the inevitable blood-draining bite. He employs a wicked longsword in battle, one magically-enhanced to draw maximum blood from those he strikes. Dracula is rarely encountered alone, using enslaved vampires and dominated humanoids as obstacles and sacrificial lambs.

Alternate Form (Su): Dracula can assume the shape of a bat, dire bat, wolf, or dire wolf as a standard action. While in his alternate form, Dracula loses his natural slam attack and dominate ability, but he gains the natural weapons and extraordinary special attacks of its new form. Dracula can remain in that form until he assumes another or until the next sunrise.

Blood Drain (Ex): Dracula can suck blood from a living victim with his fangs by making a successful grapple check. If Dracula pins the foe, he drains blood, dealing 1d4+2 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, Dracula gains 5 temporary hit points.

Children of the Night (Su): Dracula commands the lesser creatures of the world and once per day can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms, or a pack of 3d6 wolves as a standard action. These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve Dracula until released. Further, the Dracula can sense through the senses of any such commanded creatures, and communicate empathically with them, to a range of 10 miles.

Control Weather (Sp): Dracula can cast either control weather or fog cloud as a 12th-level sorcerer at will.

Create Spawn (Su): A humanoid or monstrous humanoid slain by Dracula's energy drain or reduced to Constitution to 0 or lower through blood drain rises as a vampire 1d4 days after burial. The new vampire is under the command of Dracula and remains enslaved until its master’s destruction. At any given time Dracula may have enslaved spawn totaling no more than twice his own Hit Dice (36); any spawn Dracula creates that would exceed this limit are created as free-willed vampires. A vampire that is enslaved may create and enslave spawn of its own, so Dracula can control a number of lesser vampires in this fashion. Dracula may voluntarily free an enslaved spawn in order to enslave a new spawn, but once freed, a vampire or vampire spawn cannot be enslaved again.

Dominate (Su): Dracula can crush an opponent’s will just by looking onto his or her eyes or simply by speaking. The former is similar to a gaze attack, except that Dracula must use a standard action, and those merely looking at him are not affected. The latter does not require line of sight to the target, but the target must be able to hear Dracula's voice when he speaks at a normal volume level. Anyone Dracula targets must succeed on a DC 26 Will save or fall instantly under the Dracula's influence as though by a dominate person spell (caster level 12th). The ability has a range of 30 feet. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Fast Healing (Ex): Dracula heals 8 points of damage each round so long as he has at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, Dracula automatically assumes gaseous form and attempts to escape. He must reach his coffin home within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed. (Dracula can travel up to nine miles in 2 hours.) Any additional damage dealt to Dracula while forced into gaseous form has no effect. Once at rest in his coffin, Dracula is helpless. He regains 1 hit point after 1 hour, then is no longer helpless and resumes healing at the rate of 5 hit points per round.

Gaseous Form (Su): As a standard action, Dracula can assume gaseous form at will as the spell (caster level 5th), but he can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.

Improved Turn Resistance (Ex): Dracula cannot be commanded or rebuked (but can still be turned).

Master Fighter: Dracula possesses all of the abilities of a 18th-level fighter, including a +18 base attack bonus, 10 fighter bonus feats. Dracula is treated as a 18th-level fighter for meeting prerequisites for feats and any other purposes.

Rebuke Undead (Su): Dracula can rebuke and command undead as a 18th-level cleric. Dracula can make up to ten rebuke attempts per day.

Spider Climb (Ex): Dracula can climb sheer surfaces as though with a spider climb spell.

Unholy Toughness (Ex): Dracula gains a bonus to his hit points equal to his Charisma modifier x his Hit Dice.

Telepathy (Su): Dracula can communicate telepathically with any living creature within 100 feet that has a language, and with any vampire under his direct control to a range of 1 mile.

Dracula's Weaknesses
Like most vampires, Dracula has a number of weaknesses.

Repelling Dracula: Dracula cannot tolerate the strong odor of garlic and will not enter an area laced with it. Similarly, he recoils from a mirror or a strongly presented holy symbol. These things don’t harm Dracula—they merely keep him at bay. While recoiling, Dracula must stay at least 5 feet away from a creature holding the mirror or holy symbol and cannot touch or make melee attacks against the creature holding the item for 2 rounds. Holding Dracula at bay takes a standard action.

Dracula is also unable to cross running water, although he can be carried over it while resting in his coffin or aboard a ship.

Dracula is utterly unable to enter a home or other building unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so. He may freely enter public places, since these are by definition open to all.

Slaying Dracula: Reducing Dracula's hit points to 0 or lower incapacitates him but doesn’t always destroy him (see the note on fast healing). However, certain attacks can slay him.

Exposing Dracula to direct sunlight disorients him: He can take only a single move action or attack action and is destroyed utterly in the tenth round if he cannot escape. Similarly, immersing Dracula in running water robs him of one-tenth of his hit points each round until he is destroyed at the end of the tenth round of immersion.

Driving a wooden stake through Dracula's heart instantly slays the monster. However, he returns to life if the stake is removed, unless his body is destroyed.

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you." - Batman, Batman Begins"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight"Yeah, I can fly." - Tony Stark, Iron Man"I have no plans to die today..." - Thor, Thor"We have a Hulk." - Tony Stark, The Avengers"Hulk...smash." - Captain America, The Avengers

Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
returned this flower to the dirt;
so it could live, I walked away now."
Rise Against - "The Good Left Undone"

A tiny, gelatinous creature swims through the water, resembling a short, broad cone with a low dorsal fin. A pair of long, whip-like tentacles feel around before it.

Yphozs are leechlike parasites found in wet caves and pools of stagnant water. Their survival depends on a source of water, whether fresh or putrid. Yphozs feed by absorbing organic matter, insects, and small worms.

A typical yphoz is 1 to 2 feet long and weighs around 4 pounds. Although not amorphous, yphoz can shape their bodies to allow for movement over almost any kind of surface, including traveling on land, up cave walls, and across ceilings. Their bodies excrete a sticky slime that helps them adhere to walls and ceilings. This slime will dry to a gummy substance on walls, floors, and ceilings, and a cave inhabited by a large number of yphoz will acquire a build-up of this elastic, gummy substance over time. Coloration generally matches the water in which they reside, ranging from black to varying shades of brown to varying shades of green or yellow. They may even be colorless.

COMBAT

A submerged yphoz notices slight disturbance in the water and swims toward a potential meal. It use its tentacles as "feelers" to locate prey, the swims toward the target and attempts to wrap its tentacles around the victim.

Attach (Ex): If a yphoz hits with its bite attack, it uses its suckerlike mouth to latch onto the opponent’s body. It deals no additional damage when it is attached, but it drains blood (see below). An attached yphoz loses its Dexterity bonus to AC and has an AC of 11. Yphoz have a +12 racial bonus on grapple checks (already figured into the Base Attack/Grapple entry above).

An attached yphoz can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached yphoz through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the creature.

While only a single yphoz can attach itself to a Tiny creature, up to 2 yphozs can attach to a Small creature, up to 4 to a Medium creature, 8 to Large creature, 16 to a Huge creature, 32 to a Gargantuan creature and 64 to a Colossal creature.

Blindsight (Ex): A yphoz's blindsight only functions while the creature is submerged.

Blood Drain (Ex): A yphoz that is attached to its opponent deals 1 point of Constitution damage per round until it deals a total of 6 points, at which point it detaches from its target and swims off to digest its meal.

Numbing Poison (Ex): A yphoz's tentacles are covered with a gummy contact poison. Each round that a yphoz is attached to a creature, the victim must succeed on a DC 11 Fortitude save or the body part to which the yphoz is attached becomes numb (roll 1d6 for the location: 1-2 = legs, 3-4 = arms, 5 = torso, 6 = head), resulting with the associated penalties on the table below. The effects of numbness last as long as the yphoz is attached and 1d6 rounds thereafter. Effects of multiple attached yphoz are cumulative (but an attachment by a single yphoz for multiple rounds does not stack with itself). Creatures resistant to poison gain their usual bonus on the saving throw against this effect, and immunity to poison grants immunity to the numbing poison. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Arms (3=off-hand, 4=primary) The affected arm has a -2 penalty on attack rolls, Strength checks, Climb and Swim checks, and skills checks requiring precise manipulation, such as Forgery and Open Locks checks. The victim has +10% spell failure for spells with somatic components unless it has a remaining hand free.

Head (6) The victim has a -4 penalty to Listen, Search and Spot checks.

Wallcrawling (Ex): A yphoz need not make Climb checks to traverse a vertical or horizontal surface (even upside down). It retains its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class while climbing and opponents get no special bonus to their attacks against it.

Water Dependent (Ex): Yphoz can survive out of the water for 1 hour per 2 points of Constitution (after that, refer to the drowning rules on page 304 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide).

Skills: A yphoz has a +8 racial bonus on Climb and Swim checks. A yphoz can always choose to take 10 on Climb and Swim checks, even if rushed or threatened. A yphoz uses its Dexterity modifier instead of its Strength modifier for Climb and Swim checks. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. *A yphoz has a +12 racial bonus on Hide checks made in water.

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you." - Batman, Batman Begins"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight"Yeah, I can fly." - Tony Stark, Iron Man"I have no plans to die today..." - Thor, Thor"We have a Hulk." - Tony Stark, The Avengers"Hulk...smash." - Captain America, The Avengers

Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
returned this flower to the dirt;
so it could live, I walked away now."
Rise Against - "The Good Left Undone"

This tall genie is muscular, but not particularly handsome. Its fine, well-made clothing is simplistic in decoration.

Harim servant genies are primarily tasked to guard the women of a harim, entertain them, and care for their general well-being. Tasked harim servants are usually males who act almost in a fatherly manner toward their charges, while female harim servants are strong matrons who seek to bring order to the harim. Both genders demand respect and do not hesitate to punish unruliness, though they generally try to combat problems by offering caring and a sense of family.

Harim servants demand little pay, receiving gratification from doing a good job, as well as the adoration of their “daughters”. Besides a little pay and good treatment, these genies also require good treatment for the harim, though they answer to the harim’s master, the genies tend to develop an emotional attachment to the members of the harim. Harim genies occasionally become a friend and confidant to the harim women. While the genie follows the letter of his orders, he may avoid the spirit, such as turning a blind eye to of the women sneaking away to meet a paramour. In extremely rare instances, a genie might aid a woman to escape or pursue an affair, or may even become a paramour himself.

Other genies do not approach the women of a harim protected by a tasked genie, unless the harim servant genie chooses to allow them access. A rare few tasked genies are devoted to looking after the men of a selama. They have similar attitudes to harim servants, wishing the best for their charges and for the whole selama.

A tasked harim servant goes insane if his harim is taken away from him or harmed severely, feeling that he has failed them. These often become tasked slayers.

Control Temperature (Su): As a standard action, a harim servant genie can raise or lower the temperature by 10 degrees in a 100-foot-radius centered on itself. Subsequent uses of this ability stack, to a maximum of +50 or -50 degrees. For example, the tasked genie could lower the temperature by a total of 20 degrees after two rounds.

A harim servant genie can also use this ability to heat or chill a single object within 10 feet that weighs less than 10 pounds (treat as the heat metal or chill metal spells, except the object doesn't have to be metal). The genie can change the temperature of all the object or only part of it, i.e. heating or chilling the liquid inside a cup.

Plane Shift (Sp): A genie can enter any of the elemental planes, the Astral Plane, or the Material Plane. This ability transports the genie and up to eight other creatures, provided they all link hands with the genie. It is otherwise similar to the spell of the same name (caster level 13th).

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you." - Batman, Batman Begins"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight"Yeah, I can fly." - Tony Stark, Iron Man"I have no plans to die today..." - Thor, Thor"We have a Hulk." - Tony Stark, The Avengers"Hulk...smash." - Captain America, The Avengers

Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
returned this flower to the dirt;
so it could live, I walked away now."
Rise Against - "The Good Left Undone"

A faintly shimmering humanoid floats nearby. Its limbs are indistinct, trailing off into wispy, ectoplasmic tendrils that occasionally drift away from the apparition.

Psionic spirits are incorporeal undead that were once psions. They now wander the lands of the living, searching for living psionic manifesters to torment and destroy.

The true origins of psionic spirits are unknown, but two theories have proven popular to explain their genesis. The first claims that they were once psionicists who somehow become trapped within a shadow form. Eventually the torment of their hideous half-existence drove them into madness, evil, and at the last into the arms of evil deities, who granted them undeath. The second theory simply asserts that psionic spirits were once evil psionicists who suffered a violent death while using their mental powers. Somehow the spirits of such psionicists remain in the world in the form of psionic ghosts.

A psionic spirit is 5 to 6 feet tall and weightless.

Psionic spirits speak any languages they knew in life (usually Common).

COMBAT

Psionic spirits loathe psionicists and other manifesters, and will target such adversaries before all otehrs. A psionic spirit uses its powers to first frighten and confuse its intended victims. Only when it feels its foes are sufficiently disoriented and terrified will the psionic spirit attack more directly.

Contagious Insanity (Su): Any creature that makes telepathic contact with a psionic spirit's mind must succeed at DC 18 Will save or go insane as per the insanity psionic power. A psionic spirit can use its own telepathy to try to drive an opponent mad (standard action, 100 ft. range, one target per use). The save DC is Charisma-based.

Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a psionic spirit's incorporeal touch attack gain one negative level. The DC is 18 for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. The save DC is Charisma-based. For each such negative level bestowed, the psionic spirit gains 5 temporary power points.

An object you touch rapidly decays, taking 1d10 points of acid damage. The object takes no damage if it succeeds on a Fortitude save. Cause decay has no effect on living creatures. This power can decay as much as one 10-foot cube of nonliving matter. Thus, cause decay may only damage part of a very large object or structure.

Augment
For every additional power point you spend, this power's damage increases by 1d10 points. For each extra 2d10 points of damage, this power’s save DC increases by 1.

You reach into a creature's mind to discover it's greatest fear, and amplify it to the point that the target is overcome with pure visceral terror. If the victim fails its save, the victim's current fear condition by one step (shaken to frightened, frightened to panicked, panicked to cowering). This power has no effect on a creature not currently afflicted with a fear condition. If this power's duration expires before the original fear effect, the effect is downgraded to its previous severity.

Augment
For every 2 additional power points you spend, the victim's fear condition increases by an additional step, and the power’s save DC increases by 1.

Originally appeared in Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendix III: Creatures of Darkness (1994).

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you." - Batman, Batman Begins"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight"Yeah, I can fly." - Tony Stark, Iron Man"I have no plans to die today..." - Thor, Thor"We have a Hulk." - Tony Stark, The Avengers"Hulk...smash." - Captain America, The Avengers

Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
returned this flower to the dirt;
so it could live, I walked away now."
Rise Against - "The Good Left Undone"

Ghast-Lord (template)

This foul creature stands seven feet tall. Its mottled, decaying flesh is drawn tight across clearly visible bones, with patches of coarse hair still clinging to its frame in places. Its mouth is full of long, sharp fangs. Its eyes burn like hot coals in their sunken sockets above its bearlike nose.

Ghast-lords were undead clerics of cannibalistic or anthropophagus tribes, who revered deities of similar pursuits.

Unlike common ghasts, ghast-lords retain all the intelligence and abilities they possessed in life, including their divine spellcasting ability and granted powers. Much like liches, they are often scheming and power-hungry.

A ghast-lord is physically indistinguishable from the common variety, except that it is usually garbed in clerical vestments and prominently displays its unholy symbol.

Ghast-lords speak any languages they knew in life.

Creating a Ghast-Lord
"Ghast-lord" is a template that can be added to any giant, humanoid, or monstrous humanoid able to cast 3rd-level divine spells (referred to hereafter as the "base creature"). It uses all the base creature's stastics and special abilities except as noted here.

Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to undead. Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.

Hit Dice: Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12s.

Armor Class: The base creature's natural armor increases by +2.

Damage: The base creature's natural attacks can cause paralysis in addition to their normal damage. The base creature's natural and manufactured weapons deal damage normally. If the base creature does not have a better natural attack, it gains a bite attack and two claw attacks that deal damage based on the creature's size:

Special Attacks: A ghast-lord retains all the base creature's special attacks and gains those listed below. Saves for abilities listed below have a DC of 10 + ½ the ghast-lord's HD + the ghast-lord's Charisma modifier unless noted otherwise in the ability's description.

Create Spawn (Su): A creature killed by a ghast-lord rises as a form of ghast 1d4 days after death. The victim returns as a ghast if it was a humanoid with 6 or fewer HD and as a ghastly creature if it was a giant or monstrous humanoid or a humanoid with 7 or more HD.

Paralysis (Ex): Those hit by a ghast-lord's natural attack must succeed on a Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 2d4 rounds. even elves are affected by this paralysis.

Spells: A ghast-lord can cast any spells it could cast while alive.

Stench (Ex): The stink of death and corruption surrounding these creatures is sickening. Living creatures within 30 feet must succeed at a Fortitude save or be sickened, suffering a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapons damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks for 2d6+4 minutes. A delay poison or neutralize poison spell removes the effect from the sickened creature, and creatures immune to poison are unaffected by this ability.

Special Qualities: A ghast-lord retains all the base creature's special qualities and gains those listed below.

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you." - Batman, Batman Begins"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight"Yeah, I can fly." - Tony Stark, Iron Man"I have no plans to die today..." - Thor, Thor"We have a Hulk." - Tony Stark, The Avengers"Hulk...smash." - Captain America, The Avengers

Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
returned this flower to the dirt;
so it could live, I walked away now."
Rise Against - "The Good Left Undone"

Vague outlines of aquiline eyes are evident in this small, shifting wisp of smoke.

Death shades are energy parasites that feeds upon the life energy of dying creatures. They can infest any corporeal, living creatures, and drive their victims into a berserk rage.

Death shades dwell near large concentrations of potential hosts and victims, such as among large herds of animals or in the crowds of a city. Many senseless murders in urban areas can be attributed to death shades.

A death shade is about a foot in diameter and weightless.

Death shades cannot speak, but can communicate telepathically with one another.

COMBAT

A death shade seeks to merge with a host at the first opportunity, then incite rage and feeds upon the dividends. If victims prove resistant to merge attempts, a death shade will try a few Wisdom-sapping strikes to weaken their resolve, and then tries to merge again.

Death Drain (Su): A death shade drains the life force from dying creatures. For every creature that dies within 10 feet of a death shade, the death shade gains 1 positive level. A death shade loses these positive levels at a rate of 1 level per 24 hours. If a death shade gains 10 positive levels, it reproduces by splitting; this process consumes all the death shade's positive levels and leaves two full-strength death shades. One death shade remains in the host, the second death shade must quickly find its own host or die.

A death shade is dependent on positive levels; if it goes for more than 1 day with no positive levels, both the death shade and host fall unconscious. Each day that the host is unconscious, the host/death shade must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 plus the number of days unconscious after the first) or both host and death shade die. If a living creature comes within 10 ft. of the unconscious death shade and host, the death shade rouses the host in a controlled rage and must kill the creature to drain its energy or die in a number of rounds equal to 2d4 + the host's Constitution modifier. If the death shade gains a positive level, both it and the host survive, but the host must make a DC 18 Will save or take 1d3 points of Intelligence drain. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Host-Dependent (Ex): A death shade cannot survive long without a host. It will die unless it can merge with a new host within a number of rounds equal to half its Constitution score.

Inspire Rage (Su): A death shade can fill its host with a violent fury, giving the host a +4 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution, a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, and a -4 penalty to AC. A raging death shade host will run amok, randomly attacking everything it comes upon. If its target is a friend or ally it can redirect its attacks against another object, like a wall or enemy, if it succeeds on a DC 18 Will save. This effect is otherwise identical to a barbarian's rage ability, except that the subjects aren't fatigued at the end of the rage. If a creature has the rage ability and its bonuses when raging are greater than those given here, it uses those other bonuses instead. The save DC is Charisma-based. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect.

Merge with Host (Su): Once per round, a death shade can merge with a corporeal creature. If the creature succeeds on a DC 20 Will save, the death shade is expelled and cannot attempt to merge with that creature for 24 hours. Protection from evil, magic circle versus evil, and similar magic prevent the death shade from merging with a protected host. On a failed save, the creature becomes the death shade's host and may be victimized by the death shade's control rage ability. The save DC is Charisma-based.

The death shade appears as a near-invisible gray mist which centers on the host's eyes. Other creatures can detect the death shade's presence in a host with a DC 30 Spot or Sense Motive check. If the viewer is under a see invisibility effect, or can otherwise view invisible creatures, the check DC is reduced to 15. A death shade's host has a moderate evil aura when examined with the detect evil spell. A death shade can be expelled by the host's death or by successful use of a dispel evil, dismissal, or banishment spell against the death shade.

In Spelljammer
Death shades can be found nearly anywhere, even in Wildspace.

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you." - Batman, Batman Begins"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight"Yeah, I can fly." - Tony Stark, Iron Man"I have no plans to die today..." - Thor, Thor"We have a Hulk." - Tony Stark, The Avengers"Hulk...smash." - Captain America, The Avengers

Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
returned this flower to the dirt;
so it could live, I walked away now."
Rise Against - "The Good Left Undone"

A walking, shriveled corpse shambles forth. Its hands end in long yellow claws, while its mouth sports long yellow fangs. Its eyes resemble burning red coals.

As long as one’s descendants make the proper sacrifices, ancestral spirits are at worst neutral, and often beneficent beings. But if an ancestral spirit is ignored, it eventually goes mad and begins preying on the living.

A neglected ancestral spirit speaks any languages it knew in life (usually Common).

COMBAT

A neglected ancestral spirit always targets its descendants first, if present. After that, it channels its wrath toward any living creature unfortunate enough to encounter it. It uses wraithform to leave its sealed tomb and attack unexpectedly through walls or floors, and flees in wraithform if outmatched.

Constitution Damage (Su): Living creatures hit by a neglected ancestral spirit's claw attack must succeed on a DC 18 Fortitude save or take 1d6 points of Constitution damage. The save DC is Charisma-based. On each such successful attack, the neglected ancestral spirit gains 5 temporary hit points.

Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid slain by a neglected ancestral spirit becomes a free-willed wight in 1d4 rounds. Spawn are not under the command of the neglected ancestral spirit that created them. They do not possess any of the abilities they had in life.

Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a neglected ancestral spirit's bite attack gain one negative level. The DC is 18 for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. The save DC is Charisma-based. For each such negative level bestowed, the neglected ancestral spirit gains 5 temporary hit points.

Unholy Toughness (Ex): A neglected ancestral spirit gains a bonus to its hit points equal to its Charisma modifier x his Hit Dice.

Wraithform (Su): A neglected ancestral spirit may become incorporeal at will as a swift action. Returning to corporeal form is also a swift action. It may not use its natural attacks or special attacks while incorporeal, and lacks any incorporeal attacks.

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you." - Batman, Batman Begins"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight"Yeah, I can fly." - Tony Stark, Iron Man"I have no plans to die today..." - Thor, Thor"We have a Hulk." - Tony Stark, The Avengers"Hulk...smash." - Captain America, The Avengers

Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
returned this flower to the dirt;
so it could live, I walked away now."
Rise Against - "The Good Left Undone"

This creature resembles a living cone of congealed fire, roughly the height and breadth of a man, with half a dozen strands of solid flame writhing from its sides. A single burning eye glares from above its hungry maw.

Residents of the Elemental Plane of Fire, flame ropers are similar in appearance to the ropers of the Material Plane, but are smaller and have bodies made of fire and burning materials. While the ordinary roper lives in subterranean realms, the flame roper prefers to dwell in areas of "open fire" where prey is plentiful. They are most common in jungles of fire trees, and plains of burning coal and flame grass.

Flame ropers can hide among a wider range of terrain than traditional ropers. They can camouflage themselves as a fiery plant, or as a natural feature such as a pillar of flame, a small mound of burning coals, or a red-hot volcanic boulder.

These brutish creatures barely rate as sapient beings, but can be taught to serve as guardians by more powerful fiery creatures. For example, some efreet nobles use flame ropers as "ornamental plants" in their gardens.

A flame roper stands 5 feet tall and tapers from 1 to 2 feet in diameter at the base to 6 inches across at the top. It weighs 225 pounds.

Flame ropers cannot speak but understand Ignan.

COMBAT

Flame ropers hunt like regular ropers, camouflaging themselves and waiting for something to wander within range of their weakness-causing strands, then try to snare their victims and drag them in to be devoured.

Flame ropers are not bright enough to negotiate if they face defeat and are too slow to run away, so they usually fight to the death.

Camouflage (Ex): When at rest, a flame roper can resemble either a fiery plant, a jet of flame, or a bed of burning coals. Thus, it takes a DC 20 Spot check to notice it before it attacks. Anyone with ranks in Survival or Knowledge (the planes) can use one of those skills instead of Spot to notice the plant.

Drag (Ex): If a flame roper hits with a strand attack, the strand latches onto the opponent's body. This deals no damage but drags the stuck opponent 10 feet closer each subsequent round (provoking no attack of opportunity) unless that creature breaks free, which requires a DC 18 Escape Artist check or a DC 14 Strength check. The check DCs are Strength-based, and the Escape Artist DC includes a +4 racial bonus. A flame roper can draw in a creature within 10 feet of itself and bite with a +4 attack bonus in the same round. A strand has 5 hit points (10 hit points for a Large flame roper) and can be attacked by making a successful sunder attempt. However, attacking a flame roper's strand does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If the strand is currently attached to a target, the flame roper takes a -4 penalty on its opposed attack roll to resist the sunder attempt. Severing a strand deals no damage to a flame roper.

Strands (Ex): Most encounters with a flame roper begin when it fires strands of solidified fire which wrap around any target they hit with a ranged touch attack. The creature can have up to six strands at once, and they can strike up to 50 feet away (no range increment). If a strand is severed, the flame roper can extrude a new one on its next turn as a free action.

Weakness (Ex): A flame roper's strands can sap an opponent's strength. Anyone grabbed by a strand must succeed on a DC 14 Fortitude save or take 1d10 points of Strength damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you." - Batman, Batman Begins"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight"Yeah, I can fly." - Tony Stark, Iron Man"I have no plans to die today..." - Thor, Thor"We have a Hulk." - Tony Stark, The Avengers"Hulk...smash." - Captain America, The Avengers

Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
returned this flower to the dirt;
so it could live, I walked away now."
Rise Against - "The Good Left Undone"

This transparent, glowing outline of a herd animal appears to be malnourished, battered, and scarred. Its eyes are wild and shining.

Ghost mounts arise from the spirits of mistreated mounts animals, creatures so brutally handled in life that they survive after death to take vengeance on all creatures who ride them. The statistics above can cover horses, camels, and even antelopes, while those of Huge size can represent elephants and other larger mounts.

Ghost mounts often hide among herds of ordinary wild animals, masking their true forms with disguise self to appear as a particularly strong and handsome specimen. In this way they hope to be captured and ridden, thus allowing them to bring more living creatures into the realm of the undead, for those who ride them are slowly drained of their life force, eventually becoming undead creatures themselves.

A ghost mount is the same height and length as a living mount of its type, but weighs only half as much.

Ghost mounts cannot speak.

COMBAT

A ghost mount can attack with its hooves and bite, but prefers to allow a rider to mount it and then seeks to use its drain rider ability to transform the hapless rider into a wraith.

Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid slain by a ghost mount's drain rider ability becomes a free-willed wraith in 1d4 rounds. Its body remains intact and inanimate, but its spirit is torn free from its corpse and transformed. They do not possess any of the abilities they had in life.

Disguise Self (Su): A ghost mount can give itself the appearance of a strong and handsome steed, as if using a disguise self spell. Its illusory disguise is an idealized form of the ghost mount's appearance when it was still alive. This ability is constant, but the ghost mount can suppress or resume it as a free action.

Drain Rider (Su): A ghost mount can be ridden, but this is a dangerous proposition. The rider must succeed on a DC 20 Handle Animal check to safely ride the ghost mount. A ghost mount will allow itself to be ridden with a check result of 15, but will subtly drain its rider's life force, draining one energy level per hour they are ridden. The rider must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom check to notice the energy drain. The DC is 12 for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. The save DC is Charisma-based. For each such negative level bestowed, the ghost mount gains 5 temporary hit points.

Ghostwalking (Su): A ghost mount can float just above the ground. It doesn't actually fly, but is not subject to ground terrain effects, such as ice or a grease spell, and is subject to winds as if it were a flying creature. A ghost mount can ghostwalk over water as easily as it can cross solid ground or quicksand.

Originally appeared in MC13 - Monstrous Compendium Al-Qadim Appendix (1992).

"I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you." - Batman, Batman Begins"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight"Yeah, I can fly." - Tony Stark, Iron Man"I have no plans to die today..." - Thor, Thor"We have a Hulk." - Tony Stark, The Avengers"Hulk...smash." - Captain America, The Avengers

Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
returned this flower to the dirt;
so it could live, I walked away now."
Rise Against - "The Good Left Undone"